NEWMARKET — Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter has announced a $10.34 million USDA Rural Development loan and a $1.96 million USDA Rural Development grant to the town of Newmarket to help upgrade its wastewater treatment facility.

“Reducing pollution by upgrading wastewater treatment plants is a major undertaking,” Shea-Porter said. “I applaud USDA Rural Development for supporting our communities, and I will continue to fight for federal investments in community development grants like these.”

This funding will be used to upgrade Newmarket’s wastewater treatment facility to achieve nutrient removal and upgrade the main sewer pump station. It will help bring the discharge limits from the wastewater treatment facility to the Lamprey River into compliance with state and federal discharge permit limits.

The primary treatment portion of the plant is 44 years old. The secondary treatment portion of the plant is 28 years old and the current facility is not capable of significant nitrogen level reductions. The terms of the loan are 30 years at 2.75 percent.

In April, Shea-Porter held a town hall in Greenland to provide local officials and community members an opportunity to discuss ways to reduce wastewater pollution and protect Great Bay. At the event, she discussed her support for federal investments that help communities upgrade wastewater treatment facilities and protect America’s waterways.

Shea-Porter has consistently fought for increased funding for water and wastewater infrastructure in the federal budget. She has actively supported funding of the Clean Water & Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, which would help local communities as they update water treatment plants.

She is a co-sponsor of H.R. 1877, which would authorize $13.8 billion over five years to capitalize the Clean Water State Revolving Fund. Money from the fund would provide low-interest loans and additional loan subsidies to communities for wastewater projects. The measure would authorize certain technical assistance to rural and tribal communities as well as $250 million in grants over five years for alternative water sources projects.